Knockdown top for vehicles



April 29 1924 KNOQKDOWN TOP FOR VEHICLES Filed Nov., v. 1921 "4 sneets-shee IApril 29, 1924i a wm N N, L

6 @Haw "pf lll/11111111 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 L. l. HEINTZ KNOCKDOWN TOP FOR VEHICLES Filed Nov. '7,

April 29 T924.-

L. l, HEINTZ KNOCKDOWN TOP FOR VEHICLES SheetsSheet 3 Filed Nov. 7 1921 Filed Nov. v

L l HEINTZ KNocxDowN TOP FOR VEHICLES April 29 1924.

Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

LEO I. HEINTZ,

FACTURING COMPANY, OIF PHILADELP PmSYLVA'NIA.

OF PHILADELPHIA. ENNSYI'ANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 HEINTZ MANU- EIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORIOMTIGN OF KNOGKDQWN TOP FOR -YEMIGLES.

Application ld November 7, 1921. lSeriali'o. 518,415.`

10 particularly the roofs o automobile trucksor delivery wagons.

A further object o the invention is to provide means for stretching the cover onto the frame after the parts o the trame are i@ assembled.

A still further object is tol the use ot bolts or rivets in securing bows to the side frames.

in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. i is a plan view oi the -traine oi? the top of an automobile truckv or delivery wagon with the cover removed;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section view on 'the line 2-2 Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on t e line 3f-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. f; is an enlarged transverse sectional view on the line ir-, Fia. i, showing the method oi attaching the L:hows to the side dispense with the a sectional view on .line 5-i,

a detached perspective view ts s a detached a portion oi one or the bows perspective 'view `-howing the para the socizet; Y

e3 is an enlarged. transverse sectional. view on the line 8 8, Fig., i; 9 is a pian view illustrating one oi e iront corners oi the top shown ig. 8;

Fig. i is a detached perspective view a portion or a iront frame;

Fig. 1i is a sectional plan view on the line 12b-11, Figs. 2 and ld, illustrating one oi thev rear corners oi the top;

Fig. 12 is a plan view oi the corner illustrated in Fig. il;

Fig. 13 is a sectional T13- 13; Fig. 11;

Fig. 1d is a sectional view on the line let-1d; Iilig. 11;

Fig. l is a detached perspective view .Las

view on the ,Eine

showing the joint between the rear end frame and side frames; and

Fig. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the method of securing the cover to the front and rear end frames and method of stretching the cover on the top.

1*-1 are the two side frames oi an automobile truck top; and 3 is the rear end frame. These end frames are secured to the side frames. Bows 4 are transversely arranged and ex tend from one side frame-to the other and are spaced apart as desired. vThe side frames are madechannel-shaped in cross section as clearly shown in Figi having a rounded upper flange 5 inturned at 6 to form a smooth edge and to strengthen the side frame. 7 is a lower flange upturned at 8. This construction makes a very substantial side :trame which will not sag under ordinary conditions. Secured to the inner surface of each side frame is a series oi sockets 9 made as shown in Fig. 6, having flanges l0 which are secured to the side trames l b7 electric welding or by rivets, ii desired. The recess portion il of the socket is tapered as shown and is formed by the metal ci the socket and a flanged filling piece l2 which is welded to the sides of the socket member as clearly shown in Fig. d. Each bow #i is corrugated in cross section as shown in '.ig. 7 to add to its strength and a piate i3 is secured to each end oi each by rivets or other suitable fastening "ii-cans and each plate has a Banged extension which is tapered to tit the opening il in the socket 9, as cleariy shown in Fig. Li,

Each socket member is arranged on a slight incline corresponding to the incline of the danged extension la oi the bows so that when the parts are assembled and the side :trames held by the end frames, the bows are held rigidly in place and act to sti'en the entire structure. shown and the line of the bow is on a line with the upper'ange 5 of the side frames.`

The construction and arrangement of the front frame is clearly shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. This front lframe 2 has a lower iiange and an upper flange 16, the 'joint between the body ci the iframe and the upper {iange being curved as shown in Fig. V8. in the present instance the frame is bowed as clearly shown in Fig. 1 togive it a neat 2 is the front endframe f The bows are arched as imi appearance. At each end of the front frame are rearwardly extending projections 17 which fit between the side frames 1 as clearly shown in Fi 1 and 9 and he ends of the side frames a u t shoulders 1L on the ends of the front frame. Each projection 17 has an upper flange 19 and a lower flange 20 which are continuations of the flanges 16 and 15 respectively. The front frame projections 17 are perforated at 21 for the passage of pivot bolts 22 which extend through the side frames as shown in Fig. 9. By this construction the end frame can be moved from the position shown by the dotted line in Fig. 16 to that shown in full lines, and when in the position, as in the full lines as illustrated in Fig. 8 and Fig. 16, it is held by bolts 23 which pass through openings in the flanges 20 of the projection 17 of the end frames and through the ange 7 of the side member 1 rigidly securing the parts t0- gether. d

The construction and means for holding the rear frame 3 to the side frames 1 are clearly shown in F ig's. 11 to l5 inclusive.

' The rear frame has an upper ro-unded flange 24 and a lower Hange 25; each end of this rear frame is bent to form anend flange 26 with a curved projection 27. r1`he flanges 26 dt the back of shaped plates 28, which are secured by weldin to the side frames and the shaped projections 27 fit the shaped recesses in the plates 28, as shown clearly in Figs. 11 and 13.

ln order to hold the end frame to the side frames, an angle brace 29 is located at each side of the top, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 11; each brace has a hook 30 at one end which engages a recess in the shaped plate 28, while the other end is attached by a cotter pin 3l, or other fastening, to a bracket 32 secured to theend frame 3. Thus when the braces are secured in position they rigidly holdl the rear end fra-me to the side frame.,

Referring to Fig. 16, 33 is the cover for the top, which may be made of canvas,-

leather, or other suitable material, and this cover passes from the rear frame 3 around its lower flange 25 and is secured to said rear frame byl rivets 34, while the front of the cover passes around the front frame 2 and over its lower flange 15 and is secured to said lower flange by rivets 35 or other fastenings. rlhe sides of the cover preferably hang loose from the side frames, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, but may be secured to said side frames by buttons or other fastenings.

ln l:order to stretch the cover tightly onto the top, the cover is secured to the front and rear frames before the parts leave the factory, although it can be secured by the user if esired. When the end frames are assemvbled with the side frames, the front end frame is in the position illustrated in dotted neonata lines in Fi 16, so that when all the parte are assemb ed, the front frame is turned down to the position illustrated in the full lines in Fig. 16 and secured by the bolts 23 stretching the material of the cover sufficiently to make it neatly fit the structure.

By the above construction the side frames and cross bows can be readily packed and shipped in comparatively small compass and the cover is rolled onto one or the other of the end frames and when it is desired to assemble the parts, all that is necessaryis to place the bows in position in the sockets of the side frames, attach the front and rear frames to the side frames and stretch the cover over the assembled structure. rlhe top'can be put on the posts or panels of a wagon or truck, but if used on a pleasure car, it can be attached to the side structures in any suitable manner.

1 claim: A

1. In a vehicle top,lthe combination with sideframes and cross bows, of sockets on said side frames having inclined tapered recesses, and end plates on said bows, having spaced tapering extensions removably wedged within said recesses.

2. lin a vehicle top, the combination .with side frames and end frames, of metal sockets on said side frames, each socket having a tapered recess 'formed by the metal of the socket and by a flanged filling piece within the socket and secured to the sides thereof; and bows extending from one side frame to the other, and havin inclined projections removably fitting sai recesses.

3. ln a vehicle top, the combination with side frames, and an end frame having upper and lower reenforcing flanges, of a rearwardly extending orojection at each end of said end frame, tting between said side frames, shoulders on each end of said end frame abutting the ends of said side frames, pivot bolts securin said end frame pivotally to said side Frames, and other bolts rigidly securing said end frame to said side frames.

4. In a vehicle top, the combination with side frames and an end frame, of a plate on the inner surface of each side frame near one end thereof, each plate having a portion spaced from said frame, projections on said end frame at each end thereof, arranged to fit between said plates and said side frames, and braces pivotally attached to said end frame, and each brace having a hook engaging one of said plates, whereby said end plate is detachably secured to said side frames. A

5. A vehicle top frame, comprising, in

combination, metallic side members, plates on said side members at their rear -ends shaped to provide forwardly extending recesses between said plates and side members, sockets secured to said Sidemembers,

said sockets having inclined tapered recesses, cross bows, end members secured to said cross bows, said end members having spaced, tapered and inclined projections arranged to fit removably within said socket recesses, a metallic rear cross member having forwardly extending end projections, shaped to seat in said recesses at the rear ends of said side members, braces pivotcd to said rear cross member and having hooks engageable with said plates removably securing said rear cross member to said side members, a front frame member. having rearwardly extending end portions aligning with the forward end portions of said side members and pivotally secured thereto, bolts engaging and locking together said ends of. said side and iront trame inem and cover extended over said members, said side, front. and rear members having lower reenforcing flanges, and also having upper rounded reenforcing flanges arranged to have said cover stretched thereover. y

6. In vehicle top construction the combination with opposite side frames, of a front end frame of channel shape in cross-section havin rearwardly extending channel shape end portions abutting and pivotally secured to the front ends of said side frames, and a cover. secured along its lfront to said front end frame and secured alon its sides to said side frames, and detacha le means engaging said end frame and side frames for preventing said end frame from pivoting on the side frames.

LEO l. HEINTZ. 

